Inuyasha Kikyo or Kagome?
by dragonair22
Summary: Inuyasha has to choose now. He has to choose Kikyo or Kagome.
1. Chapter 1 I love you, Kikyo, don't go

**Inuyasha- Kikyo or Kagome? (CHAP. 1)**

Kagome lifted her enormous backpack, took a deep breath, and jumped in the ancient well. It had been a long time since she had been to the ancient time on the other side of the well because of her fight with Inuyasha (again). She was pretty sure that he was not going to say sorry to her but at least she would be back and they would be able to collect more shikon jewel shards and defeat demons and other monsters of the like.

She sighed as the forces of the well blew all her dark hair back and she landed on the bottom of the well with a painful thud. With some effort, climbed up the well walls with her heavy bag. When she finally reached the top, she flopped onto the daisy spotted wild grass and stretched. She felt exhausted.

"Kagome!" Sango's voice broke the silence.

Kagome rubbed her eyes and sat up. Sango, her demon-killing ally and fellow female of the group, was dressed in her ordinary kimono with her pet Kirara. Sango had a smile plastered on her face but the deep worry in her eyes betrayed her feelings to Kagome.

"Are you okay, Sango?" Kagome asked Sango, concerned.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? Anyhow, let's hurry back to Kaede-sama." Sango said in a hurry, and dragged Kagome to her feet.

Something was definitely up, Kagome could just tell, and trust her, she would definitely find out what.

When they arrived at the hut, Kagome saw Kaede was brewing something outside the house. Shippo was standing guard, his face very thoughtful. He wagged his fluffy squirrel-like tail as he thought.

_Everyone seems so worried about something_, Kagome thought. She scrutinized Kaede's face. It was full of wrinkles as usual, but today it seemed as though her face was full of wrinkly worry.

"What's wrong, everyone? Why are we so… quiet? Where's Inuyasha? And Miroku? What's going on?" Kagome demanded, anxious.

"Um, you haven't told her yet?" Kaede asked Sango, ignoring Kagome's questions.

Sango shook her head, her face solemn. Kagome was really worried now. She dropped her bag and picked up Shippo.

"Are you going to tell me now, Shippo-chan?" Kagome asked hopefully as she searched Shippo's face.

Shippo looked reluctant. Kaede sighed. "Just tell her, Shippo. We've no choice."

Shippo sighed and gathered himself together. And then he looked straight into Kagome's eyes.

"Kagome-chan, Inuyasha has been missing for five days. Nobody has seen him since you left. Miroku has been looking for him for the past few hours. He should be back soon. We hoped to find him before you decided to come back." Shippo explained, his lower lip wobbling slightly.

Kagome froze. Kaede plunged on. "And we also suspect that he's dead. Very likely my sister Kikyo-sama has found him already, and so would like to go to hell with him. He is not immune to sister Kikyo-sama, so we are very worried since he has been missing for so long. He has encountered her before and nearly lost his life too, I take it?"

Kagome nodded numbly. She felt stupid now to have come back just to find out that he had left.

"It's really not you fault, you know." Sango insisted.

Kagome nodded again. Then she said resolutely: "I'm going to find him, so, please do not follow me!"

Kagome grabbed a nearby bag of arrows and a bow, and then she turned and ran.

"Kagome!" Kaede shouted after her but it was too late, Kagome had already dashed into the forest looking for Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Where are you, Inuyasha? INUYASHA!" Kagome shouted loudly as she ran into the forest.

Was it her imagination, or did she hear a faint response? She ran and ran until she was out of breath. She ran until she reached a small clearing. She collapsed onto the soft grass and just lay there for a while, panting.

"Inu… yasha…" She gasped.

Suddenly, she spotted a bright light ahead. Curious, she crawled forwards on all fours, and squinted at it. She heard voices.

"Kikyo! What are you trying to say?" It was Inuyasha's voice, Kagome realized with a jolt. She got up to her feet and hurried forwards.

She walked up until she could see what was happening clearly, and she hid behind a tree to spy.

Inuyasha was looking at Kikyo with an almost pleading expression and a sad and forlorn look in his eyes. Kikyo sat on a branch of a tree, her eyes as cold as ever, with a pained half-smile on her face.

"I'm trying to say, Inuyasha, that Naraku is invading, getting stronger, and creating more minions. You are in danger. Go to hell with me, or go far, far away. It's best if you don't get killed." Kikyo said very calmly.

Kagome's heart pounded and she felt as if her blood were rushing in her ears. Inuyasha took a ragged step back and stared up at Kikyo with large gold eyes.

"So you want me to die or go away? Is that it? But Kikyo! I love you, I love you, I love you, and I _want_ you! You once said yourself: 'My life is yours', so theoretically your life, in turn, is mine! Why are you pushing me away?" Inuyasha cried out.

Kikyo's mouth turned down. She narrowed her eyes and slowly climbed down the tree. She faced Inuyasha with such an unkind expression that it sent chills down Kagome's spine. She saw Inuyasha trembling, every silver hair shaking and messed up. Kagome felt her eyes prickle.

"I love you too, Inuyasha, but I also hate your guts. Aren't you always going to choose that _girl_ over me? What is her name? Kagome?" Kikyo snapped.

Inuyasha wavered.

"No! No, I won't, not over you I won't. Please, Kikyo, if it has to be that, then I _will_ go to hell with you. I will die for you. Please, please take me with you. I won't hand you over to Naraku. I can't do that!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

Kikyo released a little mocking smile. "Is that so? You know, once the red line of fate is broken, Inuyasha, it won't connect again."

Inuyasha stared at Kikyo, dumbfounded. Kagome took a silent, shaky breath and looked on.

"If you really mean what you say now, go ahead and tell the girl _Kagome_-" Kikyo paused, uttering Kagome's name with outmost loathing. "-That you like me lots better."

Inuyasha was speechless, and he was in turmoil. Kagome furrowed her brows. _Kikyo sounds like a haughty child!_ Kagome thought.

"I will prove to you some way, but I won't crush Kagome like that." Inuyasha declared.

Kikyo laughed coldly. She turned away from him. "Oh, I thought so. I knew you were going to say that. Only a man with that kind of idiocy would believe I'd fall for that. It's not over, Inuyasha, because you care about that girl. Don't you? You love her too, don't you? You love her just enough to keep from pursuing me all the time. But she left didn't she? Left you here alone without anything to protect yourself from me. Your words are empty to me, Inuyasha."

Kagome tried to fight the tears that had suddenly rushed to her eyes. She looked at Inuyasha and took in his bewildered expression. He didn't want to love Kagome, she was sure. He just wanted it to go back to the way it was… with Kikyo.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I know you're there." Inuyasha apologized quietly.

Kikyo narrowed her eyes even more. "Come out, you shameless girl! Spying is such a bad habit of yours."

Kagome's heart hammered in her chest as she took a startled step forwards. Her skirt rustled loudly in the silence.

"Just come out." Kikyo ordered.

Suddenly, a soul gathering bug, one of Kikyo's minions, pushed her forwards. She stumbled forwards with a cry and fell on her knees, grazing them.

"Be careful." Inuyasha said, and quickly helped Kagome to her feet.

"So, Inuyasha. How much do you really want me? Do you want me enough to tell this girl to go home and never come back again? Or are you going to just let me go this time and never see me again? Because trust me, Inuyasha, if you don't tell this Kagome that you like me better now, you bet you'll never be able to even glimpse my face in the future." Kikyo said icily.

Inuyasha felt the blood rise to his face. Beloved but cold Kikyo or bold and friendly Kagome? It was so hard to hurt the other.

Kikyo smiled very devilishly. "Don't push yourself, Inuyasha, I know you don't love me enough."

Kikyo turned to walk away. Kagome inspected Inuyasha. He looked pained yet still wore that defiant expression. He straightened up.

"No, Kikyo. I'm going to do it now." Inuyasha said very seriously.

Kikyo turned back in surprise, and it was genuine surprise that Kagome saw on her face.

"You really… really are going to do it?" Her tone was disbelieving.

Inuyasha nodded and turned to Kagome. Kagome saw the serious expression on his face and knew for sure that he was going to reject her, like the misfit puppy dog in a love triangle that she was.

"I'm sorry, Kagome, but you came too late. I already spent five days with Kikyo and I have realized how much she's been though, and-" Inuyasha began.

"Stop. Just stop." Kagome said.

Inuyasha stopped and looked at her curiously. Kagome felt her heart splitting into pieces as tiny as the shikon jewel shards.

"I understand, I cannot compete with Kikyo, who lost her life for you. I know that. I cannot just go back to my time and forget you though… so please, kill me now. For all the love of Kikyo, just kill me now." Kagome whispered painfully.

Inuyasha's face looked stricken and unwilling. Kikyo just watched in silence. Kagome felt it was better, just to feel those claws pierce her heart enough so that she died. Her life was already dented, what could it hurt to die?

"No! Kagome! No!" Inuyasha yelled, and picked her up in his arms, hugging her with all his might.

"You are picking her now, Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked very somberly.

"No… I'm not picking anyone. Please, can't we just share one another? I know it's a lot to ask…" Inuyasha searched Kikyo's face pleadingly.

Kikyo remained impassive. She started walking away. "I knew I would be disappointed again."

Inuyasha let Kagome go and jumped towards Kikyo and stopped her in her tracks.

"Don't go, Kikyo. I'm not finished yet. Please, give me some time to think about it. I don't have the heart to reject anyone yet." Inuyasha pleaded.

Kikyo paused. "Hmm, I'll let you off. Meet me here one week later, and bring the girl. You will have to decide then. I want you to take this seriously. Who do you love better, I mean."

Then she disappeared into the trees. Inuyasha stared after her, his eyes full of unconcealed sadness and wistfulness.

"You can go with her, you know. She loves you a great deal, just in the wrong way. I know I wasn't meant for you in that way. It was an accident that Naraku appeared and ruined things for you two." Kagome said quietly.

"Don't say that. I'm going to prove to you both how much I care. Sometime." Inuyasha sighed.

"Let's go back to Kaede-sama and everyone else. They've all been so worried." Kagome said kindly, and gently led Inuyasha away from the spot where Kikyo just left.


	2. Chapter 2 Fess Up, Inuyasha

**Inuyasha- Kikyo or Kagome? (CHAP. 2)**

Kaede looked up from her pot of soup just to see a rather determined-looking Kagome dragging a guilty-looking Inuyasha back to the hut.

"Kagome! Inuyasha! Where've you two been? Especially you, Inuyasha! Where have you been all these days? How could you be so irresponsible?" Shippo asked angrily.

Inuyasha's eyes flashed with anger. He thumped Shippo's head with his fist angrily. Kagome hovered protectively around Shippo as he howled in pain and wagged his tail.

"I'm just a kid! How can you do this to me??" Shippo complained noisily.

Inuyasha ignored him. Sango walked up with her large boomerang on her back. She double-whammed Inuyasha's head with the tip of her boomerang very expertly.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Inuyasha shouted.

"For leaving as all alone without a word for five days, we were all so worried! So don't you talk to me like nothing happened!" Sango snapped.

Miroku appeared from the hut. Perspiration decorated his forehead. "You know I've been on patrol duty for hours, right? Looking for you!"

Inuyasha sighed and clapped Miroku's back in an apologetic way. Miroku's mouth was set in a thin line.

"Inuyasha, I swear that if you went and hung out with a certain already dead priestess-" Miroku began seriously but Inuyasha interrupted him by whacking his back again.

"DON'T. PUSH. IT." Inuyasha warned, the temperature of his face rising dramatically.

There was a lengthy pause.

"Anyhoo, let's just have some soup now." Kagome suggested brightly, trying to change the subject. "Doesn't it look good? Thank you, Kaede-sama. We appreciate it very much."

Kirara sounded in agreement. Still, Sango and Miroku raised their eyebrows, unwilling to let it go.

"You know, Inuyasha, it's suspicious. You go away for 5 days…" Sango pressed but trailed off.

Inuyasha reddened even more- from embarrassment or anger Kagome was not sure. She swallowed. This was not going well. She had hoped that Inuyasha would come back to the group and that everything would be fine again. Apparently, it was not. Sango and Miroku had been saving their frustration and anger up for this, most definitely.

"What Sango is trying to say, you must've gone with Kikyo-sama." Miroku finished for Sango very quickly and matter-of-factly, before Inuyasha could do anything to harm Sango.

Inuyasha clamped his fists together, all ready to clobber someone. Kagome reeled back and hugged Shippo protectively to her chest. She sat down with Shippo on the ground. Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha remained standing, glaring at each other. Sango tightened her grip on her giant boomerang. Miroku grabbed hold of his demon incinerating paper from under his robe.

Finally, Inuyasha couldn't suppress it anymore.

"SERIOUSLY GUYS! IT'S LIKE EVERYTIME I DISAPPEAR YOU ALL THINK I HOOKED UP WITH KIKYO! I mean, sure, it's a possibility but there's no need for you guys to gang up on me! Jeez!" He exploded, his silvery white hair shaking around violently as he started pacing.

Sango started whispering to Miroku: "That's very suspicious, _very_ suspicious."

Kagome clutched Shippo even tighter. Kirara mewed and stared at them with wide, red eyes. Kaede was silent as she attended to her soup, keeping it warm and nice to drink by the time the fight was over, yet she was oddly attentive to their conversation.

"You're not listening to me! Okay? Listen! I'm confessing. I did go to Kikyo. I was taking a midnight walk while the moon was bright, huffing about Kagome-" Inuyasha's eyes darted towards Kagome in an apology and continued. "And I met her. She was hiding behind a tree, watching me. 'Resting' behind a tree, as she put it. Well, we had a talk. She told me that she loved me and wanted to know if I did too. I said yes. She took me to her village and let me watch her tend to the battle-weary men over there and I watched her work for a few days. Every night she'd take me out into the forest to talk and, well, just today we were talking and Kagome stumbled upon us. So. That's it, okay? Sorry if I caused any inconvenience but that's just the way it is. Deal with it."

Inuyasha didn't sound sorry, Kagome had to admit, but it was improving the argument's situation. Sango and Miroku had stopped whispering and were looking at him with very hard eyes. Kagome slowly loosened her arms but Shippo didn't seem to want to leave her protection just yet. Kagome looked closely at Inuyasha. He was panting heavily, as if he had just made the confession of the year. Wait… she scrunched up her eyes. He wasn't finished. Not even close. He was just gathering more courage.

"Hey, I'm not done, you four dummies… plus one. So listen up!" Inuyasha spat. Kagome pitied him. It wasn't easy to reveal so much info of his personal time with Kikyo at once. "Kikyo was pretty nice to me. She wanted to know if I preferred Kagome to Kikyo." Inuyasha turned pink. "And she is giving me some time to think about it and tell her my answer. And I don't want to. I can't decide."

Sango narrowed her eyes. Miroku shook his head, as if despairing at the idiocy of it all. Kagome's jaw tightened. Right then and there, she wanted Inuyasha to sit. Really sit. But she wouldn't say it, not yet.

"Inuyasha, I know you are in a very bad position. I know how it feels, to be unable to choose one woman over another. However, I think Kikyo is right. You should be honest with yourself and just choose. I mean… you must have _one_ of them held in a slightly more favorable place in your heart, right?" Miroku said sympathetically.

Inuyasha's face tensed. "Well… K-Kikyo, I guess, um…"

Kagome's face darkened. She lowered her head and gently pushed Shippo away from her. She stood up abruptly.

"Who wants soup…?" Kagome said stonily.

Her companions looked stricken. Kagome's question came out like a statement- or a threat.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha looked at her sorrowfully.

"Osuwari/sit." Kagome muttered coldly and made her way to Kaede

"Gah!" Inuyasha cried out as he plummeted down onto the ground. He laid face flat on the ground for a few moments before getting up again huffily. Yet he tried not to take offense because it was he who got Kagome mad in the first place.

Kaede was the only one not to shrink away from Kagome's deadly serious gaze.

"Here, Kagome-chan." Kaede said almost cheerfully as she gave Kagome a bowl of her soup.

"Thank you, Kaede-sama." Kagome thanked her very curtly and sat down with her bowl of soup.

Kagome sipped it and cracked a scary smile. Sango let out a little gasp and pushed Inuyasha towards Kagome, wanting him to apologize or explain or just lighten her mood. Miroku nodded frantically. All this Kaede observed with a half-bemused expression.

Inuyasha inched closer to Kagome very cautiously. Kagome continued to sip, as if waiting. When Inuyasha was almost standing next to Kagome, Kaede beamed at everyone.

"Sango-san, Miroku, Shippo-chan! Let's all come inside. I have something to show you…" Kaede offered and winked, hinting that she was leaving Kagome and Inuyasha to talk. _As if it isn't obvious enough, _Kagome thought bitterly.

When they were all hustled into the hut, it was just Kagome and Inuyasha. He lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. When I said Kikyo, I was just starting a sentence and figuring out how to structure it. I didn't exactly mean it to sound like I was choosing Kikyo over you." Inuyasha apologized as sincerely as he could.

Kagome stopped sipping. She sneaked one glance at Inuyasha, and then looked down again.

"So you're choosing me over Kikyo?" She asked timidly, with a hint of hopefulness.

"Well…" Inuyasha looked pained. "I'm not choosing anyone right now, okay?"

Kagome laughed quietly and shook her head. She turned her head and looked straight into Inuyasha's eyes. He wavered slightly.

"Inuyasha… Fess up, Inuyasha. I know that if you choose me, you won't be able to forget about Kikyo. I know it. Don't lie, you want Kikyo… badly." Kagome intoned with a small, sad smile.

Inuyasha sniffed a little. Not in a crybaby way. In a guilty way.

"I know." He agreed reluctantly.

"And vise versa. You will miss me while you are with Kikyo… right?" Kagome added.

Inuyasha nodded. Kagome smiled at him. It was a tired smile.

"You'll make the right decision, Inuyasha." Kagome said confidently.

Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath. "If I choose Kikyo and go to hell, will you go to Koga?"

For once, Kagome laughed for real. She gave Inuyasha a sideways glance.

"What if I do? Will you be jealous?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha bared his teeth. "I will beat the crap out of him if you do!"

"Don't!" Kagome gasped and got up on her feet, alarmed.

Inuyasha snickered. She crossed her arms and glared at him. Then her face softened when she saw that Inuyasha had become somber again.

"It's okay, you know. I know you can't choose me over her. I'm not good enough. She lost her life for you, sorry to say again." Kagome insisted, though it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Inuyasha.

"Um… can I, really?" Inuyasha's face was incredibly hopeful.

Kagome felt her blood boiling. "_**OSUWARI/SIT! OSUWARI/SIT! OSUWARI/SIT!!**_"

Inuyasha was dragged down onto the ground again by the beads. He groaned as he ate mouthfuls of dust and dirt. He leaped up quickly though.

"You idiot! You've got nerve!" Inuyasha barked.

Kagome tossed her hair and turned her back on him. Inuyasha stopped. He wasn't supposed to get mad at her now.

"Fess up, Inuyasha. You want to choose Kikyo." Kagome said hoarsely.

Inuyasha didn't answer. That was enough for her. She felt tears wobbling out of her eyes. She clenched her fists.

"I'm not going to cry!" She yelled out into the night, although she was.

Inuyasha felt guilty and sad and infinitely sorry. He wrapped his arms around her shaking body and rested his head on top of her head. She stopped shaking.

"Kagome, I'm not going to choose Kikyo. I'm not going to choose anybody. I'm going to work something out, so we can all be happy. I don't want to see you like this." Inuyasha promised.

Kagome nodded, although his words were hollow. They were lies. Kikyo wouldn't let him go unless he personally let one of them receive the heartbreaking blow.

They both stared up into the night. The stars twinkled back at them. A silver arrow shot high through the sky. _Kikyo? No. It's not. It's a shooting star_. Kagome realized. She made her wish. She had a feeling Inuyasha did too.


	3. Chapter 3 I'm sorry, Kikyo

**Inuyasha- Kikyo or Kagome? (CHAP. 3)**

A rooster screeched from the distance. Kagome's eyes flew open. The warm and golden sunlight peeked through the bamboo blinds of Kaede's hut's window.

She sighed and settled back into her uncomfortable floor bed and thought back to last night, where she had talked to Inuyasha about Kikyo and the decision he had to make. She closed her eyes again.

_Everything would be better without Kikyo_, Kagome grumbled silently in her head. _No! I will not even think things like that!_ She hurriedly corrected herself.

"Kagome-chan?" A tired little Shippo raised his head groggily and blinked his bleary eyes at Kagome. She opened her eyes and sat up. Shippo sprung onto her lap. She smiled and patted his head.

"Kagome-san?" Kaede raised her head in worry; her gray hair messed up from sleep.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Miroku snored on noisily. Sango knocked his head three times. He sprang to his feet, and then he tripped. Sango giggled. He groaned.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha leaped into the hut. He had been keeping watch that night, again. _Probably looking out for Kikyo_, Kagome thought. She was feeling rather unhappy that day.

Kagome paused. Just one word form Shippo had sent everybody awake. They all cared about her so much. How could she give up now? It would be unfair for everybody if Inuyasha chose Kikyo and let Kagome return to her own time. Kikyo wouldn't want to search for the shikon jewel shards. She would want Inuyasha to go to hell with her. They would all be unable to track down Naraku and kill him.

"I'm fine, everyone. Just go back to sleep, please. Don't worry!" Kagome assured them with a smile.

They smiled back and went back to sleep. Only Inuyasha didn't. He marched back outside. Kagome checked that her pajamas were on well and followed him out. The morning cold hit her like a blast. She shivered. Inuyasha threw her his red fireproof shirt.

"Don't get a cold. That would be inconvenient." Inuyasha explained gruffly.

Kagome nodded and draped the shirt around her shoulders like a shawl. They walked together for a while.

"What about you?" Kagome said finally. "Don't you get a cold too, okay?"

Inuyasha let out a choky laugh, indicating in his Inuyasha language that that was not possible. Kagome smiled. She let her finger brush his arm lightly. She couldn't tell if he noticed.

"So… don't stop me, okay?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha threw her a weird look. "Stop you from what?"

Kagome sighed. "Going home, of course!"

"Oh."

Inuyasha looked and sounded infinitely disappointed. Frankly, Kagome didn't care. Inuyasha could mope all he wanted, she was going home for her test... she really wanted to keep a sharp eye on him though.

"I have a test." Kagome explained.

"Oh."

This time he sounded relieved. _Did he really think I was going to bail on him or something?_ Kagome thought in amusement. It was short-lived though, because their walking conversation soon descended into awkwardness again.

"Um, let's go back." Kagome suggested.

He nodded in agreement. He quickened his pace. Kagome had to run to keep up. _He looks really unhappy today. He's usually very animated, or at least emotive._ Kagome briefly wondered about Inuyasha's wellbeing but just then he gave her a cocky smile. At least, she thought it looked cocky. His face looked colored and healthy. _Ah, there's nothing to worry about. He can handle himself._

When they arrived at the hut, everyone was awake and ready. Sango was brushing her hair and slowly picking out the fleas in Kirara's thick coat. Kirara mewled like a kitten, but then again, she was a demon cat. Miroku was putting on his robes. _I bet people like him here where a lot of robes. Must be very annoying to put together._ Kagome thought thoughtfully. Then she was surprised at herself. Why was she noticing things she never really noticed before? Was it because she really believed Inuyasha was going to choose Kikyo over her, and that this would be the last time she saw them?

"Good morning." Kagome smiled back and packed everything up.

"What? Are you going back to your country?" Shippo asked, his large eyes unhappy.

"Yeah, Shippo, but I'll be back soon, okay? I just want to focus on my schoolwork right now. Besides, there's a test coming up." Kagome told him.

Shippo also looked disappointed. He jumped up and gave Kagome a hug. She hugged him back, and then put him down. She lifted her bag onto her shoulders and went out.

"Bye, Kagome-chan!" Sango and Miroku chorused from inside the hut.

"Goodbye!" Kaede also called out.

"Bye!" Kagome poked her head into the hut one last time, and then she started walking.

Inuyasha followed behind nervously.

"I'll piggyback you there. It's quicker and you know… you spend less energy. I guess." Inuyasha offered, his face looked tired from staying up all night.

Kagome nodded and climbed onto his back. She laid her head into the soft arch of his neck and in his soft, silvery hair.

"Thanks." Kagome said quietly as Inuyasha began leaping across the river and through the trees.

"Err, don't mention it." Inuyasha mumbled back uncomfortably.

Kagome smiled. "Can I ask you a question?"

Inuyasha didn't reply. She took it as a yes.

"Will you miss me while I'm gone? Cause I'll only come back in time for your big decision." Kagome paused. Then: "I'm hoping you will do the right thing… the thing that's best for everyone, just not you and Kikyo. You know."

Kagome meant that by choosing Kikyo, Inuyasha would let everyone- Sango, Shippo, Miroku, Kaede, Koga and many more- down. She felt Inuyasha's head bob up and down. He was nodding. She smiled.

When they arrived at the well, Kagome hopped off his back and walked over to the well. She turned to look at Inuyasha one last time before it really happened. _Don't fret!_ Kagome thought, fretting.

"See you, Inuyasha." Kagome struggled to suppress her emotions.

Inuyasha nodded. "See ya."

No one moved. Suddenly, Kagome went up and gave Inuyasha a big hug. His cheeks flamed and he coughed.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, pushing her away.

"It's called a goodbye hug, oaf! Ever heard of one?" Kagome yelled, angry that he had pushed her away.

"Keh! Like I'd need one! We'll see each other in a week! Only a week! No big deal! We've done it before, haven't we?" Inuyasha shouted back.

Kagome's head drooped. "Um, no we haven't." She started to cry.

Inuyasha stared at her for a while before he even registered that she was crying because her head was bent down so low, and her fringe was covering her eyes.

"Ohh. Stop! Don't cry!" Inuyasha panicked. He couldn't ignore crying girls.

Inuyasha gave her a quick hug. Then he took a big step back.

"There, no more crying. Please." He pleaded.

Kagome nodded, her tears dry on her face and her cheeks flushed, and jumped.

_One week later…_

Kagome climbed out of the well. This time, she didn't bring anything with her. _What's the point? He's going to choose Kikyo, no doubt_. Kagome sighed and accidentally kicked Inuyasha, who was sitting beside the well. He leaped up.

"What was that for? Damn it! That hurt!" He cried out angrily.

"Sorry, Inuyasha. I didn't see you there…" Kagome apologized.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and started walking into the woods. Kagome followed. She clutched the ends of her green skirt nervously.

"Inuyasha, I don't think I have a need to go to Kikyo's meeting. Just tell her what you've decided yourself. I don't want to go." Kagome's voice became hoarse. She felt like a little frog, croaking at a bigger toad that was going to squash her very soon.

"Don't worry about it." Inuyasha waved his hand in the air carelessly.

Then he stopped and his soft white ears twitched. He raised his head and sniffed. Then he cracked a smile. Kagome took one shaky step back and looked around wildly.

"I've decided." Inuyasha said very clearly, his golden eyes focused at the tree beside, on his right side.

Kikyo appeared from behind the tree. Her face was a mask of coldness, as usual. Her long hair was loose and flowing, down to her waist, and her dark eyes looked forlorn.

"How confident you look, Inuyasha. I'm dreading it already." Kikyo said slowly, her voice like poison. She was smirking, and Inuyasha looked like his health was deteriorating on the spot.

There was a pause. Kagome took another step back. This was getting worrying for her. She wanted to leave.

"Inuyasha. You said you've decided. What _exactly_ have you decided?" Kikyo leered at Inuyasha, and then her eyes darted towards Kagome. "Tell us, Inuyasha. Kagome is waiting for your word."

Kagome swallowed. She felt like choking under Kikyo's gaze. She wondered if Kikyo had always been this unkind before, fifty years before, in the past. She probably hadn't. _In any way, she sure has a very strong power over Inuyasha. How does that happen? _ Kagome considered it for a moment, and looked at Kikyo in awe.

Inuyasha was speechless. It seemed like a good enough reason for Kikyo to proceed.

"I am made of clay and dust and other un-flesh-like things. Kagome, my incarnation, is alive and well, albeit from another time. It might be a hard to choose me over her, I know." Kikyo's lips didn't move but her voice seemed to continue haunting them both.

"Why do we have to do this?" Kagome asked suddenly.

Kikyo furrowed her brow in distaste. "What are you talking about? You don't want to_ share_ Inuyasha, do you?" She paused and waited for Kagome's reply. It didn't come. Kikyo snorted. "There's no point in talking sense into you brat."

"Yo, Kikyo!" Inuyasha said in a disapproving tone, and he looked like he was going to say more when there was a rustle of leaves coming from the bushes nearby.

Inuyasha drew his sword Tetseiga quickly and pointed the sharp tip of it at the bush that just made a sound. There was more rustling and a little green goblin demon stumbled out. It was Jaken, Sesshoumaru's henchman. He waved his staff in front of him bravely, although his tiny frame was shaking.

"Who's this, Inuyasha?" Kikyo stared at Jaken with almost immediate disliking.

Jaken coughed and raised his staff at Kikyo. "I am Jaken, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama's very loyal servant!" He said importantly.

"Sesshoumaru? Is that… the brother of yours that you don't like at all?" Kikyo sounded surprised.

"Yeah." Inuyasha answered with a fierce look on his face. Then he pressed his sword closer to Jaken's face. "Whaddaya want?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken started screaming like a girl.

Ah-un, the large two-headed flying monster, landed right in front of Jaken, forcing Inuyasha to lift his sword back. Rin hopped off and ran over to Jaken, who was lying on the ground trembling and sweating at the same time. Sesshoumaru got off quickly and gracefully. He faced Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha. What are you doing here?" Sesshoumaru frowned.

"None of your business!" Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshoumaru's frown deepened. "Don't you dare talk to me like that, idiot." He slashed out at Inuyasha and he dodged _just_ in time.

Kagome stood frozen on the spot. Kikyo looked like she was enjoying every minute of Inuyasha's half brother's visit. Inuyasha cracked his claws noisily and glared at Sesshoumaru.

"You're a waste of time." Sesshoumaru spoke in a chilly tone, and turned and left.

There was a pause. Then Jaken grabbed Rin and scrambled onto Ah-un's back hurriedly, and all the while he was shouting: "Oh, wait for me Lord Sesshoumaru-sama!" Ah-un took massive steps forward, following Sesshoumaru. When they were gone, Inuyasha started walking away as well.

"Let's go, Kagome." Inuyasha's voice sounded gruff.

"Wait, Inuyasha! What about Kikyo?" Kagome called after Inuyasha.

Inuyasha turned slowly and Kagome gasped in surprise. Kikyo stood staring at him, unmoved. Inuyasha's face had lines were their weren't before, and his bright gold eyes and turned dark, almost dark brown. His hair had lost its silvery sheen, and was just a dull grey. His mouth was set in a firm line. His face had the most pained expression Kagome had ever seen in her life. Her heart thrashed in her chest wildly.

"I'm sorry, Kikyo. It's just that… Kagome is better. For everyone. Not only me." Inuyasha's voice was deep and scratchy.

Then he turned away. His back was hunched and his dog-ears were drooping a little. He walked away, and Kagome followed reluctantly. _I can't believe he just turned Kikyo down…_ Kagome felt uncomfortable. She felt like rejoicing, yet she felt guilty too. She dodged dagger glares from Kikyo for a while, but then it stopped coming. Kagome felt that Inuyasha was going to start tearing up soon. They had to go quick before Kikyo could find more to sneer at.

"Inuyasha...." Kikyo called after him.

Inuyasha turned, his eyes hopeful for forgiveness from Kikyo. It was perfectly reasonable to ask for but Kikyo wasn't the one to be asked from.

Kikyo's hard expression softened a little.

"Inuyasha, stay alive for me." Kikyo said softly, but loud enough for Inuyasha to hear. Then her soul demons came and lifted her away. Her scent still drifted in the air, and Inuyasha took it in for the last time.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, concerned.

Inuyasha nodded and started walking again. His head was bent, and Kagome had a feeling that she better not see why. She smiled sympathetically at her sad Inuyasha.

And that was the end of one of the greatest ordeals in Kagome's life.


	4. Chapter 4 Kagome's nightmares

**Inuyasha- Kikyo or Kagome? (CHAP.4)**

Kagome trudged back to the hut with Inuyasha. The sun was setting. _Had we really spent so much time with Kikyo? I think I came here at noon…_ She felt shaky and exhausted from all the trauma with Kikyo and Sesshoumaru and everything. She sighed. Inuyasha was awfully silent, and she didn't blame him._ He must be thinking about what Kikyo said at the very end. She can really charm a boy, sometimes._ Kagome thought as she stepped into the hut.

"Hi, everyone." Kagome greeted her friends as warmly as she could.

"Kagome-chan! You're back!" Shippo jumped into her arms, even more excited than usual. _He probably thinks he'll never see me again…_ Kagome smiled wanly at him.

Miroku jumped up to his feet and zoomed over to Kagome. He kneeled on the ground and took her hands. Kagome felt Sango's sharp stare. She felt like sweating.

"Now that Inuyasha is away for Kikyo, will you bear my child?" Miroku asked very seriously.

Kagome reddened. "Miroku-sama… uh…"

Inuyasha jumped into the hut, his white ears flattened on his head, and pushed Miroku away roughly.

"I'm not away for Kikyo! I chose Kagome!" He snapped.

The entire hut hushed, and Miroku crawled back to Sango's side. Kaede was the only person brave enough to speak up to Inuyasha's angry face.

"You denied my sister?" Kaede sounded very surprised.

"Yeah! So what." Inuyasha answered not so nicely.

Kaede hobbled over to him. She scrunched up her one eye at him. Her wrinkles deepened.

"You've got guts, there, I'll give you that. I didn't think you had it in you to choose Kagome over her. This wouldn't sound right cause I'm her sister but you know, you made a good decision- for everyone." Kaede said with a hint of pride.

"Oh yeah, old granny, and that works well for everyone but me." Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome elbowed him in the ribs. "That's really rude!"

"Kagome…" Kaede paused. Kagome prepared for her cue. It didn't come. "Let's leave him today."

"Hah! At least you're not stupid." Inuyasha sat himself in a corner of the hut, cross-legged.

"I'll take that as a compliment, then." Kaede sniffed.

Kaede started shuffling about, looking for her pot. Kagome pointed at the big black one sitting outside.

"Oh, thank you, dear." Kaede hurried outside and brought it back in.

"Well, believe it or not, it's time for dinner, now. Soup, anyone?" Kaede suggested.

"I'll go pick some mushrooms!" Shippo volunteered immediately. He didn't want to risk staying in with a dissatisfied Inuyasha. Besides, he liked mushrooms.

"I'll go get some meat." Sango offered, picking up her boomerang.

"I'll help." Miroku hurried Sango out of the hut and followed after. Shippo was already gone.

Kagome stared after them. Kaede sighed and peeked into her pot. Inuyasha said nothing. He just sat.

"It's funny how you need _two_ people just to get meat for some soup." Kaede commented wryly. Her eye darted towards Inuyasha. "And I know it's not me that's worth running away from."

Kagome laughed appreciatively. She knew what Kaede was trying to do. She was trying to get Inuyasha to return to his normal, active self. It was not working, though.

Kaede stretched. "Ah, lord. My legs aren't what they used to be. Kagome, could you do me a favor and fetch me some water. It's just outside."

"Of course, Kaede-sama." Kagome accepted the opportunity to get out amiably.

On her way out, Kagome patted Inuyasha's head. "Good boy." That always infuriated him.

"_Kagome!_ Don't treat me like a dog!" Inuyasha raised his voice, and his cheeks gained some previously lost color.

"But you are one." Kagome pointed out matter-of-factly. Kaede nodded in agreement.

"A half dog _demon_! There's a big difference!" Inuyasha leaped up, and motioned with his hands how big the difference was.

Kagome smiled at him and walked out of the hut. She took the bucket that was lying outside the entrance. She went over to the stream nearby and waited as the water filled up in the bucket.

_I wonder if Inuyasha will recover from this blow. I wonder if we will ever see Kikyo again. _Kagome lifted the now full of water bucket. _Maybe we won't. Maybe that's best._ Kagome headed back towards the hut.

When she went in, Shippo was already dropping each little white mushroom into the pot.

"White mushrooms are the only ones that aren't poisonous and that are good for cooking." Shippo explained to Kaede. She smiled.

Sango and Miroku were not there yet. She wondered what was taking them so long. Maybe they didn't want to come back yet, and was taking their time. Kagome poured the bucket of water into the soup carefully. Before she went out to get more, she looked around. Inuyasha had disappeared.

"Kaede-sama, where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"He's out chopping wood for me." Kaede answered simply.

Kagome hurried out and waited as the bucket filled up again. _Inuyasha went to chop wood for Kaede-sama without a complaint? I don't believe it!_ Kagome lifted her bucket and went back into the hut again.

She poured the second bucket of water back in to the pot. Sango and Miroku were back and relieved that Inuyasha wasn't there. They laughed and applauded as Shippo presented them with his fox demon trick props.

Kaede stirred her soup. It looked cold. Inuyasha burst in suddenly with roughly cut logs and dumped them beside the pot. Kaede put the pot over the logs and Kirara lit it with fire. They all sat and waited for the soup to be ready.

_Twenty minutes later…_

Kagome bunched up in her sleeping bag and closed her eyes, ready for sleep. Honestly, she had not expected that Inuyasha would choose her and let her stay but Kaede must have, since she had taken initiative and secretly kept Kagome's sleeping bag just in case she was spending the night.

She sighed and snuggled in deeper. Her sleeping bag was puffy, much better than the ragged cloths the others used. She smiled, comforted by the fact that she was here to stay, and that Kikyo wouldn't be bothering anymore…

_ Kagome screamed as she stumbled along in the mist. The mist around her was so thick that she couldn't see a thing. Even the ground beneath her felt stuffy and unstable. She ran and ran forwards, towards that opening of light…_

_ Her surroundings cleared, and she realized that she was standing in a room. There was a huge machine in the middle with two large injection tubes hanging from it. She stared at it, and then looked around. It certainly didn't look like a hospital to her._

_ "Oi, what's going on here? Where am I?" Inuyasha demanded, appearing suddenly out of the blue._

_ Suddenly, the two injection tubes came to life and zoomed towards Inuyasha and Kagome's arms. The tubes wrapped themselves around each wrist and the needle dove straight into the skin. There was no pain, though Inuyasha wriggled a lot and yelled, cause he had never seen an injection before, nor had he had one._

_ "What is going on?" Inuyasha shrieked and thrashed about._

_ Kagome remained silent and unmoving, and watched with wide eyes as the two injection tubes unwound themselves and injected Kagome and Inuyasha's DNA into the machine._

_ The machine whirred and shook until finally, the monitor blinked and flashed and showed the cutest pictures in the world._

_ One was of Kagome when she was just a few months old. She was small and chubby with dark hair and bright eyes. The other one was of Inuyasha when he was just a few months old, and he was in mid-jump, his silver hair was somewhat lighter than the silver hair of Inuyasha standing there, and his gold eyes were shiny and innocent._

_ Kagome gaped at baby Inuyasha, and started laughing._

_ "What's there to laugh about? You look pretty ridiculous too!" Inuyasha crossed his arms angrily._

_ "No, no." Kagome stopped laughing and smiled at Inuyasha. "You just look so different and so CUTE!" She started squealing at the picture again._

_ Inuyasha mimicked her voice in a more girly tone. "You just look so different and so CUTE!" Then he changed back to his own voice. His eyes narrowed a little and he looked sad when he said: "Keh! I don't need to be watching my younger self. It just brings back bad memories."_

_ Kagome stopped all noise that was coming from her mouth and stared at Inuyasha sympathetically. She was about to say something when their surroundings misted again and she felt like there was an earthquake. She began to walk towards Inuyasha when the earth shook again and she tripped over her own feet and fell._

_ "Kagome!" Inuyasha ran over to Kagome, picked her up and started running around, looking for an exit._

_ Kagome felt dizzy. "Uhh… Inuyasha, slow down."_

_ "Kagome? You okay?" Inuyasha asked, concerned._

_ "Slow down…" Kagome managed to speak._

_ "Of course I can't! We have to find a way outta here!" Inuyasha argued._

_ "Then… Osuwari/sit." Kagome muttered._

_ She fainted in his arms. He crashed down not so painfully onto the mushy ground, due to the beads of subjugation. There was no exit, and endless running would not do any good, so Kagome chose the only way to stop Inuyasha. She started sleeping soundly after she landed. It was indeed a very comfy place the sleep. Inuyasha's face was flat on the ground, and he started sleeping soundly too._

_ Suddenly, there was a noisy whirlwind. Inuyasha got up just in time to see Koga carry Kagome away._

_ "Koga! Wait for us!" Ginta and Hakkaku panted after him._

_ "Grr, Koga! Come back with Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled and chased after him._

_ A figure stopped him in his tracks. He reached for Tetseiga but it wasn't there._

_ "It's only me, Inuyasha." A familiar voice soothed._

_ The mist cleared a little, and Inuyasha could make out whom the figure was._

_ "Kikyo!" Inuyasha gasped in surprise._

_ "That's right." Kikyo smiled._

_ Inuyasha wanted to approach her but felt that he had no right after denying her._

_ "Inuyasha, it's all right. Just stay alive and well for me. You'll see me again." Those were Kikyo's last words before she disappeared into the mist again._

_ The earth shook again, and Inuyasha fell onto the floor. He closed his eyes, suddenly drowsy…_

Kagome's eyes opened slowly. Someone was bouncing on her sleeping bag.

"Nngh…" Kagome mumbled as she got up. It was Shippo, doing a morning tap dance to wake her up.

"Good morning, Kagome-chan!" Shippo tweeted happily.

Kagome smiled back and changed out of her pajamas and into her school uniform. _So it was just a dream…_ She mused. Inuyasha poked his head in just then, and she remembered how Inuyasha looked as a baby with a jolt.

"Aahh, Inuyasha! You were so cute!" Kagome screamed and threw her arms around Inuyasha.

Inuyasha turned beetroot red.

"You're damn right, I guess I am…" Inuyasha said uncertainly, embarrassed and not understanding.

"Oh, sorry. I mean, you were so cute when you were a kid." Kagome explained, letting him go.

Inuyasha frowned. "And how would you know that?"

Kagome stared at him for a while. _Hadn't he had the dream too? Or was it all just my imagination?_ Kagome sighed at his confused face. _It probably was._

"Kagome-chan! Do you want to go home now? Cause, you totally can. You ought to take a break." Sango suggested, also getting up.

"She's not going home!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Yes I am! Osuwari/sit!" Kagome said.

Inuyasha crashed down onto the wooden floorboards. "Argh."

Kagome packed up her bag and waved as she went out of the hut. They all said their goodbyes except Inuyasha, who was huffily righting himself again.

When Kagome arrived at the well, she took one deep breath and jumped.

The hazy blue that surrounded her didn't bother her anymore. And as she popped out of the well again, she was back in her own time.

"Onee-san! Onee-san! You'll be late for school!" Sota, her younger brother told her as she got out.

"Okay, okay, I got it." Kagome grabbed her school bag and bento lunch and hurried to school with Sota.

"Kagome-chan!" Her friends called her.

She went over to them. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi smiled at her.

"So, so. How's your rough, delinquent boyfriend?" Yuka asked excitedly.

Kagome rolled her eyes. _What a day._

"I told you, he's not!" Kagome said defensively.

"It must be hard for you!" Eri added, ignoring Kagome's comment.

"Uh-huh." Ayumi nodded.

Kagome covered her eyes. They arrived at school. The bell rang.

"Oh, and did you revise for the test today?" Eri asked Kagome.

"I did!" Ayumi gushed.

Kagome paused in midstep. _Oh no!! I completely forgot!_ She sank to the floor, horrified.

"Kagome?" Yuka poked the top of her head.

She fainted on the spot. She couldn't hear her modern-time friends' shocked cries, only her desperate wailing to get herself out of her nightmare.

_That dream I had in the other time really isn't so bad after this nightmare I'm having now…_

THE END


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